Selector switch



y 1,612,966 Jan- 4 1927- G. DEAKIN SELECTOR SWITCH Filed sept. 15. 1924w 4 apglgopppppgd Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.r

GERALD DEAKIN, 0F ANTWERP, BELGIUM, ASSGN OR TO VESTERN ELECTRIC COM- lANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N.

Y., .A COREORATON OF NEW YORK.

SELECTOR SXVITCH.

AppIication filed September 13, 1924, Serial This invention relates to automatic switches such as are used in automatic telephone eX- change systems, and more particularly to switches of the group and final selector type in which the terminals of lines or trunks are arranged in fixed levels.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a switch in which a single set of brushes may be positioned for selecting a bank terminal in any level in a. simple and economical manner.

In accordance with the chief feature of the invention the brush member is adapted to be moved to a predetermined position by a cam member which is selectively set to any desired position under the control of controlling impulses.

In the preferred form of carrying the invention into eliect, a. cam disc, carried by a flexible toothed disc which is rotated upon being brought into engagement with a continuously driven gear, is arranged so that impulses may be sent back, by means of an interrupter device operated as the cam disc rotates, to a registering mechanism under the control of which the switch operates. It will, however, be obvious that the invention is not limited to a switch of this type but may also be applied to a switch which is directly set by incoming impulses, in which case, the cam disc would be stepped around a suiicient distance to move the brush carriage one position for each impulse transmitted by the impulse transmitting device.

My invention will bebetter understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figjl is a front elevation of the switch in accordance with the invention, por tions of which are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing in detail the form of the cam disc for moving the brush carriage, the flexible geared disc and the arrangement of the terminals. Fig. 3 is a view through line 3-3 in Fig. 1 and shows the means for connecting the brush assembly to the hollow shaft. Fior 4 is a View through line 4-4 in Fig. 1 an shows the cam follower in detail.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a hollow tube 36 which is journaled in bearings 2 contained in switch frame 1 and is held in position by member 23 and nut 4 which secures a flexible toothed disc 3() of steel or other suitable material to the hollow tube 36. This gear 30 warps into engagement with the continuously driven gear 31 when No. 737,476Mand in Great Britain November 10, 1923.

the clutch armature 32 of magnet 37 is operated. The lower end of hollow tube 36 contains a set screw 24 for adjusting the tension of the spiral spring S. Tube 36 is slotted for a considerable portion as shown at 5. A key 7 ruiming diametrically across the interior of the tube 36 passes through slot 5 in order that it may slide up and down within the hollow tube but not rotate therein. `Within the hollow tube 36 and between the lzey 7 and screw 24 is a spiral spring 8 which normally maintains the key 7 in its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Brushes 41, 42 and 43, which may be of any desired construction, are secured in an assembly of insulating material 6 between clamping plates 10 threaded on the ends of a sleeve 9 slidably mounted upon the hollow tube 36. The key 7 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, passes through the slot 5 from the interior of the hollow tube 36 around a portion of the periphery of the assembly 6 and is held in place by screws 40 so that the brush carriage may be moved up and down lthe hollow shaft without rotating about it. This sliding movementk is cared for by a mechanism to be hereinafter described.

A sleeve 11 which ends at 25 is placed over the upper end of hollow tube 36 and may be rotated about the hollow tube and within the upper bearing 2. The sleeve is secured within the bearing by projection 50 and nut 14. To sleeve 11 are attached by means of nuts 12, 13 and 14 a flexible toothed disc 33 and a cam disc 20. The whole may be rotated when the clutch armature 34 is attracted, permitting the flexible toothed disc 33 to warp into engagement with the continuously rotating gear Disc 33 is held in its normal position by armature 34 which is held in its normal position by spring 44.

Around the periphery of cam disc 20 are a series of notches 46. llVith the yswitch in its normal position roller 26 which is attached to spring 28 rests in the first notch. As the disc is rotated from one position to the next, springs 27 and 28 are opened and closed thereby transmitting impulses to the controlling mechanism of the register circuit.

On the cam disc 2O is mounted cam 19 having a continuous internal face which is perpendicular to the disc Q0. This cam face is adapted to engage a roller 18, the purpose of Cal which is hereinafter described. I'Vith the switch in its normal position the tace ot the cam engaging roller 18 is at the maximum distance radially from the axis et the switch which is the center of the hollow tube 3G. The cam tace is so formed that as the disc is rotated from position to position roller 18 is forced radially toward the center, a dis-l tance equal to the desired displacement ot the brushes. In the usual switch of ten levels the cam :tace is so 'termed as to cause roller 18 to assume any one et ten positions, depending upon the number ot steps to be selected.

rIube 3G terminates at Q5. Extending from this point verticallyv and then horizontally is hollow tube 1G which is rigidly secured at its out-er end to tian'ie l. lVithin tube 16 and extending down tube 56 and as far as key T. a series ot balls movably mounted tvitliin tube 16. Slidably mounted within tube 16 hrough a slot therein is cam follower 1?, one surface ot' which is engaged bv the last ball. To cam follower 17 is attached the aforementioned roller 1S which engages the inner surface oi cani 19. Aas roller 18 is caused to move radially towards the center otl the switch as previously described the series ot balls are torced alonfr hollow tubes 1G anu 36 forcingl the hey i' and attached brush assemblj.Y down against the tension ot spring S. Gears 31 and 35 are fastened to shaft 119 which is driven continuously by a notch or ot-iier means.

rlhe operation ot the switch as follows:

lllhen it is desired to lower brushes L11, 412 and 13 into a position opposite a particular arcuate level of contacts, clutch armature 34 is operated, thus permitting gear disc 33 to engage the driving gear by means of which disc Q0 and cam member 19 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. rIhe engagement of cam 19 with the roller 18 causes cam follower 17 to be forced along tube 16 towards the center' ot' the disc, forcing steel balls 15 along hollow tubes 16 and 86 against the tension of spiral spring 8. Iluring this n'ioveinentthe brushes are prevented from rotating by means ot the key '.7 in slot 5 of tube 3G which is secured to gear and held in its normal position by means ot armature 32 and spring 47. As disc Q0 rotates, contact is made between impulse springs Q7 and QS each time roller Q6 passes from one notch to the next thereby sending` back impulses to the registering mechanism, t not shown). which operates in a well lrnown manner. After the brushes have been lowered a suhicient nu1nber of steps, corresponding` to the number of impulses sent back to the registering mechanism, the circuit ot magnet #i8 is opened thereby releasing armature Bei, which in turn t'orces the flexible gear out ot engagement with continuously rotating gear 35 thus stopping the rotation oi gear 33 and disc 20. The brushes are now rotated into contact with the desired terminals oi the level chosen by means of magnet 3T. lllhen magnet 3T encrgizes, armature is raised allowing the flexible gear 3l) to mesh with continuously revolving gear 31, thereby rotating hollow shaft 3G to which the brush assembly is attachecl. To stop the rotation of the switch, magnet 3.7 releases thereby torcing flexible gear 30 out ot' mesh with the continuously revolving gear 81. The circuit arrangements for the control ot the clutch magnets torni no part ot the present invention. Such circuits are well known to the. art.

To restore the brush assembly to its normal position, cam disc 2() is again rotated in the same direction and brought to rest at a point 180O it'rom the starting point. As the disc Q() rotates, the spring S lorces the hey l' and balls 15 upwardly moving the l'ollower 17 to the end ot tube 1G. In this posi'- tion it will be seen that roller 1S is again at the n'iaxinnnn distance from the axis ot the switch and the pressure on the balls 15 in tube 1G is removed. The particular cam disc 19 which is shown in Fig. 2 is arranged for two complete selections per revolution. Itr will, however, be obvious that the caln tace may be changed to increase or decrease the number of complete or partial selections per revolution. It will le also understood that instead of driving the `flexible gears 30 and 33 by means ot continuously rotating members 31 and 35 respectively, the discs could be rotated by means ot a step-by-step mechanism under the control of impulses transmitted directly to the switch by any convenientmeans such as the well known calling device or dial.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a selector switch, a rotatable shaft, a sleeve slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, aV bank of contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set ot brushes carried by said sleeve for cooperation with said contacts, means for advancing said sleeve along said shaft to position said brushes opposite desired rows of said contacts and means tor rotating said sha-tt and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contracts.

2. In a selector switch, a rotatable shaft, a sleeve slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a bank ot contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set of brushes carried by said sleeve for cooperation with said contacts, a rotatable cam for advancing said sleeve along said shaft to position said brushes opposite desired rows ot' said contacts, and means tor rotating said shaft and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contacts.

3. In a selector switch, a hollow rotatable shaft, a sleeve slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a bank of contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set of brushes carried by said sleeve, a series of balls within said shaft, a rotatable cam, said balls being controlled by said rotatable cam for advancing said sleeve along said shaft to position said set of brushes opposite desired rows of said contacts and means for rotating said shaft and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contacts.

4. In a selector switch, a slotted rotatable shaft, a sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft, a pin carried by said sleeve engaging said slot in said shaft for transmitting the rotational movement of said shaft to said sleeve, a bank of contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set of brushes carried by said sleeve for cooperation with said contacts, means for advancing said sleeve along said shaft to position said brushes opposite desired rows of said contacts, and means for rotating said shaft and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contacts.

5. In a selector switch, a hollow rotatable shaft, a hollow angularly mounted extension for said shaft, a sleeve slidably and nonrotatably mounted on said shaft, a bank of contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set of brushes carried by said sleeve for cooperation with said contacts, a series of balls contained in said shaft and extension and in engagement with said sleeve, a .follower mounted within said extension for engagement with said balls, a rotatable cam co operating with said follower for advancing said balls along said extension and shaft, means for rotating said cam whereby said sleeve is advanced along said shaft to position said brushes opposite desired rows of said contacts and means for rotating said shaft and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contacts.

6. In a selector switch, a rotatable shaft, a sleeve slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, bank of contacts arranged in arcuate rows, a set of brushes carried by said sleeve for cooperation with said contacts, means for advancing said sleeve along said shaft comprising a rotatable toothed disc having a caln thereon, an interrupter, means cooperating with the teeth of said disc for operating said interrupter for controlling the advancement of said sleeve along said shaft to position said brushes opposite desired rows of said contacts, and means for rotating said shaft and sleeve to advance said brushes along the selected rows of contacts.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of August A. D., 1924.

GERALD DEAKIN. 

